UBC ARC Chinook is an object storage platform, available to UBC researchers by application. With an initial 5 PB of storage, Chinook is an integral part of UBC’s efforts to significantly increase storage capacity to meet the immediate needs of UBC researchers and supplement the storage resources available through the national platforms.
The Chinook platform can be used to retain and retrieve portions of large research datasets composed of files and unstructured data, such as short or medium-term archives, collection and aggregation of results, copies of valuable datasets, staging of reference datasets or nearline storage. Chinook easily integrates with UBC ARC Sockeye, our high-performance computing cluster, for fast and convenient data transfer to the compute platform.
Chinook storage is accessed via Globus for data transfer and data sharing and optionally S3.
(NEW) Chinook allocations are now accessible via S3!
WHO CAN APPLY– CHINOOK RESOURCE ALLOCATIONS
UBC Faculty members and Principal Investigators (i.e., deemed Principal Investigator by a Dean or UBC affiliated institution) can apply for Chinook allocations through the online application form. Applicants can have only one active allocation; however, access can be granted to multiple users, including external collaborators. Applications can be submitted on an ongoing basis.
Prioritization will be given to Faculty members who are:
- New to UBC
- Early-career researchers.
- Have research data that must be stored on-site or cannot be accommodated by any other existing computational resources (e.g. Compute Canada).
Use of the system is contingent on acceptance of the UBC ARC Chinook Terms of Service.
WHAT IS S3?
Simple Storage Service, or S3 as it is more commonly known, provides an application programming interface (API) that Chinook users can leverage to transfer data from platforms, applications, or systems. S3 enables researchers to programmatically access their data and enable S3-compatible web platforms.
Researchers can integrate research tools and platforms that support S3-compatible storage solutions to enhance their research workflows, which was not possible before. The research tool and research use cases must already support S3-compatible storage solutions. If you have any questions, email arc.support@ubc.ca for a consultation.
Please note: S3 is not enabled by default. If you have an existing allocation and would like to enable S3 for a research use case, email arc.support@ubc.ca and provide your allocation code and a description of the use case.
SUPPORT AND RESOURCES
UBC ARC Chinook Application Guidelines
For detailed information on the application process, please view the UBC ARC Chinook Application Guidelines.
UBC ARC Chinook Technical User Documentation
For detailed technical documentation for Chinook users, please visit the UBC ARC Technical User Documentation.
Chinook Terms of Service
For more information about the UBC ARC Chinook service, eligibility, suitability, User responsibilities, access, support, and maintenance, please view the ARC Chinook Terms of Service here.
UBC ARC Chinook Frequently Asked Questions
For a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) regarding Chinook, please visit the UBC ARC Chinook Frequently Asked Questions page here.
One-on-one consultations
The ARC team provides consultation and support across a wide range of high-performance computing domains. If you need assistance with your Chinook application or other high-performance computing resources, please contact arc.support@ubc.ca.